Honey (especially raw or “unprocessed”) is amazing for you and tasty as all get up.

In Chinese medicine certain herbs, like licorice root (gan cao), can be “honey fried” to increase their value as a nourishing and replenishing medicinal herb. This has been done for centuries for numerous reasons. Below are just eight of the many things honey can do for your body.

1. It’s an antiviral! The bees themselves smear their hive with an antiviral enzyme that is then nourishing to humans when we snack on the honey. Note that heating or processing honey will kill these enzymes.

2. As a sweetener, it helps to balance out blood sugar levels quickly, leading to improved cholesterol levels, lower body fat and less weight gain. This is because it provides the liver with fructose as well as glucose at an even rate and may also improve insulin sensitivity.

3. Honey boosts the immune system immensely. A high fever can kill white blood cells, which is your immune system’s way of fighting off anything. Honey reduces the death of these cells during a fever, providing you with the strength to get better sooner. The health and diversity of the plants used by the bees is important as to how healthful the honey is too. For example, buck wheat honey has been found to act as a cough suppressant.

4. The antibacterial affects mostly come from raw honey. Propolis, or “bee glue,” is made by honeybees to seal the hive and make it safe from bacteria and other micro—organisms. This is great for humans. Once processed or heated propolis is eliminated from honey, the honey can be eaten raw.

5. Raw honey also contains lots of friendly bacteria that help our bodies run smoothly and prevent dis-ease in digestion.

6. In India, honey is used topically to help heal wounds (particularly severe burns) as it lowers the infection rate thanks to the antibiotic effects and prevents white blood cell death.

7. Other helpful tumor fighting substances are often present in honey too but most cancer research in this department has been focused on honeys use to improve quality of life and effectiveness of other treatments based on its positive effects on the immune system.

8. Your local honey is great for pollen allergies because it is made from your local flowers. This is not for grass or dust allergies though, as there is no pollen involved there (try Rooibos tea for that).

Got a bee hive out back? If no one is allergic then leave it alone (let them “bee”) and make sure you have some Apis (a homeopathic remedy made from honey bees) on hand to use in case of stings. It effectively and efficiently eases any discomfort and is great for kids.

About elephant journal

elephant journal is dedicated to "bringing together those working (and playing) to create enlightened society." We're about anything that helps us to live a good life that's also good for others, and our planet. >>> Founded as a print magazine in 2002, we went national in 2005 and then (because mainstream magazine distribution is wildly inefficient from an eco-responsible point of view) transitioned online in 2009. >>> elephant's been named to 30 top new media lists, and was voted #1 in the US on twitter's Shorty Awards for #green content...two years running. >>> Get involved: > Subscribe to our free Best of the Week e-newsletter. > Follow us on Twitter Fan us on Facebook. > Write: send article or query. > Advertise. > Pay for what you read, help indie journalism survive and thrive—and get your name/business/fave non-profit on every page of elephantjournal.com. Questions? info elephantjournal com

3881805 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2012%2F09%2Feight-reasons-to-get-some-honey-amber-scriven%2FEight+Reasons+to+Get+Some+Honey.+%7E+Amber+Scriven2012-09-02+11%3A58%3A22elephant+journalhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F%3Fp%3D388180 to “Eight Reasons to Get Some Honey. ~ Amber Scriven”

For people interested in learning more about honey and mankind's long association with bees, I would like to recommend a book called 'Honey and Dust: Travels in search of Sweetness' by Piers Moore Ede, a yogi and occasional Elephant Journal contributor. Its a real insight into the interplay between our two species through history, the differences in bee cultivation across the world and a good introduction to the study of why the decline of the world's bee population should be taken more seriously.

[…] Honey can still be enjoyed in small quantities (though not cooked!) as it has a warming effect. Warm and spicy soups are excellent and will make you feel wonderful and fend off chills—think Thai tom kha soup, hot curry soup, carrot-ginger, butternut squash-ginger, etc. Also, embrace cooked grains and avoid too many raw vegetables. […]